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Originally intended to launch with the airline’s new 737 MAX aircraft, the first flight took off from Cairns as VA77 on board the 737-700 VH-VBZ (similar aircraft pictured) at 2:51pm on Wednesday. The airline will fly daily between Cairns and Tokyo year-round.
Gissing, who is stepping down in November, has served as QantasLink CEO since April 2012, as well as Qantas Group Executive Associated Airlines & Services since 2015. He was previously a founding member of Jetstar’s executive team.
VH-8IA, nicknamed ‘Monkey Mia’, is expected to land in Brisbane this week after numerous delays, and will fly between Cairns and Tokyo (Haneda) after obtaining regulatory approval. The airline has a further seven MAX 8 and 25 MAX 10 aircraft on order.
The reshuffle will include the creation of a chief people officer role to handle both human resources and industrial relations, which are currently separate portfolios. The Flying Kangaroo is undertaking a search for the executive who will fill the position.
The chief financial officer will replace current CEO David Ruff, who is retiring at the end of July after 15 years with Babcock Australasia. Mr Cridland has been a mainstay at Babcock in Australia and the United Kingdom since his employment began in 2015.
The plane, nicknamed “Monkey Mia”, is the first of eight MAX 8 aircraft Virgin has on order from Boeing. It is earmarked for use on the airline’s Cairns-Tokyo (Haneda) route, due to launch on Wednesday.
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